Monthly Archives: October 2015

All the work has been done. Galvanized conduit bent into hoops. Sandbags filled. Six mil greenhouse film measured and cut for each raised bed. Trial run successful on Wednesday night, set them up in the 35+ mph winds in fact. Didn’t cover things last night though. White frosty blanket greeting me and the paper this morning. Despair? Nope, hope! All my varieties were selected for cold weather heartiness. Runners are different than collards. And a teaching moment for Kevin Joerger. Our sunny Southern California transplant is getting ready for his first taste of Nebraska winter. Keep things covered!

My dear sweet Linda is headed down to Tulsa manana for Saturday’s USATF Masters 15K National Champs. A boat load of prize money for the fastest age groupers and age graded performances. Stacy Mangers Shaw will also be in kit and has my blessing as pre race age graded favorite for the women, Bar None. At 49 she will have her hands full of the light side of the 45-49rs. But she’s not wired strictly for age group or graded, often beating competitors half her age in open competitions. Early in ’16 she’ll be 50, hard to believe as that may be.

I’ve got some other interesting skin in Tulsa’s game this weekend. Back in the late 80’s when living in Beaumont, TX a cat a couple years older used to pitch me racing fits and then began pulling away. Don’t quote me but I believe he ran high 2:30s at TCM at 50+ when it served as that USATF Champs. Joe Melanson. Now 60 plus and if he’s showing up he’s ready to race. His beautiful wife Billie Kay, also in the 60 plus and also entered.

Bob Garia. Enjoys near legend status in Omaha. Don’t quote me but I believe he won the Corporate Cup as a young man and continued to run at the front of the pack for two decades. Sported the red and white for me for a short while. Still cleans up on local age groups and pulls the occasional overall at off the radar runs.

Joe. Bob. A lifetime friend vs. a long time friend. Now it gets interesting.

Giddyup!

Not sure if any are going but with LRC Racing’s stable of studly masters it would be cool to see some of their names podium wise.

Front and back. No mistaking. Lesson learned. Keep it tight. Keep it right.

Linda and I met a group of our mates at the Omaha Central track last evening, drizzly cold be damned.

But first, I’ve seen the best fellas of the past 20 years. Names that are the stuff Nebraska running history is made of. Morgan. Adams. Westhuizen. McGown. Pohren. Stenger. Rasmussen. Schneider. Carrizales. Thor. Wilson. Llewellyn. Nichols. Ashley. They all ran for me. What I stood, still stand for.

These cats are the throwback to the Original Vision of athletics in Nebraska, Willie Style.

Original Vision. So very important to the future of our sport.

Same direction, different cast of characters. Biggest difference? Keep it Tight. Keep it Right.

The way the lads have come together lets me know the recipe still works. And all the better with the lessons I’ve learned.

Watching them tour the 350 meter oval, shrouded in fog, was apropos. The unknown. To be respected if not feared. Respected because of their prowess but more so for the content of their character. Characters that passed the rigorous interview that will ensure this time things are done best.

You won’t see us racing at this weekend’s Good Life Halfsy. I mentioned to them last night that as much as I’d love to see the group cleaning it up, no, no, we’ll continue our snail’s pace progress to excellence. Snail’s pace, ha!

The GLH should still be interesting though. Thirty some each male and female runners that have the race’s Elite Standards of 1:15:00 for men and 1:29:00 for women. I’m digging that the men’s elite std is the same as the USA Women’s Olympic Trials Half Marathon qualifier. Good on Ben Cohoon for embracing the front of the pack.

Back to the track. The workout was modified to accommodate the fitness level of the foursome. Grant and Jay leading the way. Drew and Kevin, smart young men just released to full training, jumping in sensibly. I had to call Shannon Stenger to get the actual distance of the track, 350 meters, yes. So 10 X 1050 meters (3 laps). Grant cranking out the last two solo.
Like this:
3:15.
3:23 (oops)
3:18
3:20 (oops)
3:15
3:11
3:06
2:58
2:59
2:54

I wrote it yesterday, put the numbers down, tilted my head to one side (like a chicken watching a card trick), looked at the numbers again, a bit uneasily this time, but had so many other thoughts on parade that I merely typed and moved on.

I’ll try this again for your benefit and mine.

14:12. Fourteen hours, twelve minutes. 100 Miles.

There has been a mini explosion in ultra distance running in Nebraska. The well attended GOATZ 50K this past weekend ample proof of the popularity of beyond the marathon and beyond beyond. A great chance to bring out the lawn chairs and beer and tooting and wooting. A mass participation event where the only thing that matters is the social, excepting of course the .001% that were in it to win it. Everybody’s doin it, doin it, doin it. *I don’t have privileges to certain sites on the internet and thus can’t find the full results but I know Cory Logsdon took the win in a new CR.

But nobody’s doin it doin it doin it like Pete Kostelnick. Nobody.

14:12 for 100 miles. 7:06 through 50 Miles 3:33 for 25 miles. If my head has stopped spinning enough, I think I’m coming up with 8:30/mile. For 100 miles.

He could have been sitting right in the middle of Lake Cunningham this weekend and maybe 3 people would have recognized him.

I’m declaring Pete the 2016 Nebraska Ultra Distance Runner of the Year. If winning Badwater didn’t elevate him to the top of your poll, hopefully this jumble of barely intelligible numbers skyrockets him to deserved recognition.

And after 35 years in our sport, I’ll sit here and continue to scratch my head at one of the most amazing runners I’ve ever had the pleasure of calling a Good Mate.

Wow! This past weekend was full of hustle and bustle. And it is always a pleasure to see those that I’ve had some personal dealings with raising the bar.

Topping the list is my girl Camille Herron. Good ‘ol gal from War Acres, Oklahoma. Recently featured here and earning another tip of the sombrero today. World Record for a road 50 Mile in an astonishing 5:38:40 this weekend.

Next up is our boy Pete Kostelnick who ran a personal best 14 hours 12 minutes for 100 miles down in Ottawa, KS.

That powerhouse high school program down in the Woodlands, TX! Had their two mile time trial this weekend. Setting a bar that will make your head spin. For the fellas:
8 runners under 9:30
11 runners under 9:40
15 runners under 9:50
19 runners under 10:00

And finally some great racing in Kearney as well. Congratulations to all the winners, the coaches and programs.

I learned something yesterday morning. Returned to my old dojo to do a 5 mile tour with my favorite client. Favorite because she gets me. One hundred percent. Jen proved her fortitude to me training up for the HITS Omaha Marathon. Three days a week. Pretty much nailed her goal. Excellence.

Excellence, yes. Elitist, no. Doing the most and best with what you have. Excellence.

Easy to take that elitist potshot when I spend so much time and effort advocating for the very best. Advocating for the very best within you. Potential. And if fulfilled, Excellence.

I’ve worked with enough runners, of all abilities, to know that the statistical comparison is equal across all sub groups within our sport. If you are fortunate enough to be born fleet, it sure gives you a leg up heading to the tape. Does not guarantee Excellence though. That other critical piece must be there and in equal measure. Mental Toughness. The Mind Is The Athlete.

Congratulations to Joe Moore of the Kansas City Smoke. His 2:18:43 at last weekend’s Toronto Waterfront Marathon was good enough for 13th overall and 1st American. Excellence.

Last two days spent getting the Run Guru Roadside Attraction squared away. Athletic Art and Artifacts from the last 100+ years now housed and displayed in the barn/museum.

I’ll check results later today from the Nebraska State XC meet out in Kearney. Seeing who the fleetest and most mentally tough are. Giddyup!

I’ve been saying it for 50 years folks. There are those that have chimed and suffered a lot longer. Still a heck of a ride for my Cubbies. One of the things lifelong fans have no shortage of is optimism. Heartbreak followed immediately by that sly little smile and wink, “Just wait until next year!”

Does that mindset color my expectations for the 2016 return to excellence of Nebraska Distance Running? Smile, smile. Wink, wink.

I’ve heard from several of you gentle readers about my comments on last weekend’s half marathon. Lots and lots of garmins verified the distance. And that’s cool. In defense, the race did not advertise a certified course. And apparently there were issues with the timing and results. Most people having up to 30 seconds or more deducted from the results on their watch. At any rate, freshman jitters I’m sure and the event will get things up to snuff moving forward.

Cory Wells rest in peace. Lead singer for Three Dog Night. The very first concert of my life, the Assembly Hall in Champaign, IL. Circa 1971.

I posted this question to the Omaha Running Club facebook page: How important is a USATF Certified course to the Omaha Running Club? It will be interesting to see the responses, should there be any.

Prompting the question is the sea of declarations of personal bests at the Nebraska Half Marathon. Take a look at the course map. Dozens of turns, plenty of hills, and every runner scores a hard fought pr?

Another question, fair and tough. Why did the Nebraska Half choose not to get certified? Was there a discount on the entry fee for providing an “ish” product? Or, are the majority of local runners unconcerned? Its not just a Nebraska problem though.

From my buddy Cal Murdock covering for Team Iowa Runablaze:

Ben Jaskowiak won the DM Marathon 5k (Oct. 17) in 14:13. Ben relates on his PR (?), “Great morning to run with temps in the upper 30s to low 40s and almost no wind. It’s a fast course as well. I knew from my splits the 2 mile marker was wrong. After the race I confirmed . . . they turned us around too early (it’s an out and back course).
I find instances like this unacceptable, and I wasn’t the only one upset about it. This was in fact the third race I’ve run this year where the course distance was not as stated and ended up being short. What this really comes down to is sloppy work by race organizers. They can have all the finish line food and beer to please the majority of runners, but until you can be certain the course is accurately set up and measured, they’re deceiving all runners. I’ve won this race two years in a row . . . I think it’s time runners start seriously thinking about things like this and force the race directors to do some catering to the minority of runners who truly care about accurate courses and timing.”

After 30 months I don’t need much convincing. Interesting take this past weekend on our market gardener lifestyle. Healthy as a horse, strong as an ox, and even if stubborn as a mule, happy as a clam.

Took a class up in Hooper after the Fremont Market on Saturday. Our friends at TLC Gardens presenting on fermentation and the benefits of incorporating probiotics into your daily diet. Brining with either sea salt or our own Bar None Bee Poop. Easier than canning, it will become an adjunct to our best efforts.

Interestingly, diet is not the only source of probiotics and I take away much from the section called “Rewild Yourself”. Mostly through exposure. 1. Use antibiotics only when necessary. 2. Enjoy the outdoors. 3. Grow a garden. 4. Get a pet. 5. Use plain soap and water. 6. Go barefoot. 7. Avoid antibiotic treated meat. 8. Diversify diet.

And with that, a Voila! moment. I have become Peasant Strong.

Some running and racing around last weekend. Des Moines came and went, good job to Matt Olberding and David Frost. Both ran good races and got their BQs.

And hey now! I’m impressed with the ability of Joe Sutter getting the city streets closed for the new Nebraska Marathon (*a half this year with marathon coming in 2016). Check out the route at nebraskamarathon.org I’ve seen nothing but praise. The course map indicating a slightly hilly and moderate to heavily winding tour through far Eastern Douglas County, the Riverfront, over the Pedestrian Bridge into Iowa and back.

And sounds like everyone that ran lucked out with the absolute perfect morning, seems every single runner set a half marathon personal best! A quick check for USA Track & Field certification finds the race did not get it. Get it?

“Insanity is repeating the same mistakes over and over again expecting different results.” – Albert Einstein

Or, those that don’t learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.

Whether it is drawing up plans for the new chicken coop, composing a training cycle for an athlete, or daring to be a force of change for the better. Learning what has worked in the past, what has failed, these lessons should guide, and Do guide, me.

Another way to look at it. Just because it is the easiest route, doesn’t mean you should take it. I’ve got a bee line out to the barn, straight shot to and from doors. And sometimes Jed chooses to adorn exactly my path with some of his massive lawn sausages. It only took one step into those piles. I learned not to step in it again. And in fact choose a different route all together.

Good luck to our masters mates running Des Moines. David Frost will squeeze it in between redeyes, logging many of thousands at 6 miles a minute for much of the cycle. Matt, his upside a study in potential.